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“한껏 들뜬 채 갔던 딸, 문자에 답장도 않을 정도로 재밌나 보다 했건만…”
지난 17일 경주 마우나오션리조트 체육관 붕괴사고로 목숨을 잃은 부산외국어대 김모(2학년•여•태국어과) 학생의 아버지는 딸을 떠올리며 말을 잇지 못했다.
김씨의 아버지는 18일 오전 1시께 부인과 함께 부산외대 남산동 캠퍼스에 차려진 사고대책본부를 찾았다.
김씨 어머니는 떨리는 다리로 겨우 몇 걸음 걷다가 허물어지듯 주저앉아 오열을 했고, 숙연해진 분위기 속에 딸을 잃은 아버지의 비통한 고함만 울렸다.
그는 대학 관계자들을 붙잡으며 “딸이 죽었다고 하는데, 왜 대학에서는 연락 한통 없었냐”며 늑장 대응에 분통을 터트렸다.
그는 뉴스를 통해 처음으로 사고소식을 접했다고 했다.
그는 “저녁에 뉴스를 보다가 사고가 났다는 소식을 들었다. 딸은 잘 있겠지 하는 생각에 누웠다가 혹시나 싶어 일어나 여기저기 전화를 해보았다”면서 “대학에 전화를 해도 아무도 연락이 되지 않고 울산과 경주의 병원에 전화를 해봤지만 아무도 연락이 되지 않았다”고 말했다.
이어 “딸의 친구에게 전화했을때 비로소 딸이 빠져나오지 못했다는 말을 들었는데, 그래도 살아 있을 것이라는 희망은 놓을 수가 없었다”고 전했다.
실낱같은 희망을 붙잡으며 여기저기 알아보고 다녔지만 그에게는 끝내 딸이 사망했다는 비보가 날라왔다.
그는 “아침에 일찍 출근하느라 딸 얼굴도 보지 못했는데 어떻게 그런 일이 벌어질 수 있느냐”며 울먹였다.
그는 올해 2학년에 진학해 태국어과의 대표를 맡아 신입생 오리엔테이션을 진행한다며 한껏 들떠 있던 딸의 모습을 떠올리며 “딸에게 오후 7시쯤 ‘재밌냐’고 문자를 보냈는데 답이 없었다”며 “답장도 하지 않을 정도로 재미있나 보다 생각했는데…지금 이심정을 어떻게 해야할지”라며 흐느꼈다.
신입생 오리엔테이션에 참석했다가 붕괴사고로 3남매 중 둘째딸인 고혜륜(18)양을 잃은 고양의 어머니는 “사고 6시간여만인 18일 오전 2시께야 학교에서 연락이 왔다”며 “아는 지인에게서 먼저 사고 소식을 접했는데 학교는 도대체 뭐했느냐”고 목소리를 높였다.
고양의 어머니는 “사고 현장 리조트에 눈이 그렇게 많이 왔다는데 답사도 안하고 행사를 강행하는 게 말이 되느냐”며 분통을 터뜨린뒤 “어제 점심을 먹고 나간 우리 아이가 신입생 오리엔테이션에 가는지도 몰랐다”며 안타까워했다.
붕괴사고와 관련해 18일 부산외대 한 관계자는 “부산외대에서는 신입생 오리엔테이션 등 학생 자체 행사를 금지시켰는데 학생회에서 주도해 회비를 걷어 행사를 진행한 것으로 보인다”고 입을 열었다.
이어 “학교 측이 금지시킨 행사에다 학생들이 회비를 걷어 무리하게 진행하다보니 싼 곳을 찾게 된 것 같다. 이에 사고가 난 조립식 건물같은 열악한 시설을 이용하게 된 것”이라고 설명했다.
한편, 이날 부산외대 측은 홈페이지에 “저희 대학은 신입생 예비대학에 참석했다가 참사를 당한 학생들에 대해서는 향후 대학이 할 수 있는 모든 행정력을 동원해 책임을 지도록 하겠다”며 사과문을 올렸다.
붕괴사고 현장에 인명 구조와 수색은 사고발생 18시간만인 18일 오후 3시에 끝났으며, 인명 피해는 사망 10명(여성 7명, 남성 3명)과 부상 105명(중상 2명, 경상 103명)인 것으로 집계됐다.
가벼운 상처를 입은 피해자 상당수는 경주, 울산 등 병원에서 치료를 받은 뒤 퇴원을 하거나 연고가 있는 부산 등지의 병원으로 간 것으로 알려졌다.
구조•수색 작업이 끝나 붕괴 원인에 대한 수사도 본격화됐다.
국립과학수사연구원은 본원과 대구 및 부산본원 소속 인력 13명으로 현장 감식을 위한 태스크포스를 구성해 18일 오후 3시부터 감식에 들어갔다.
국과원은 안전도 진단이 끝나면 무너져 내린 강당을 안전하게 시공했는지, 하중 설계를 적정하게 했는지 등을 점검할 계획이다.
경찰도 국과원 감식이 끝나는대로 사고가 난 강당에 대해 시공에서 관리까지 전반적인 부분에 걸쳐 위법이 있었는지를 본격 수사할 계획이다. (연합)
<관련 영문 기사>
Building collapse in Gyeongju sparks controversy over its cause
Public uproar is mounting over the university‘s alleged late response and irresponsibility after the unexpected building collapse that left 10 people dead and about 100 injured on Monday in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
Ten people were confirmed dead with 105 people injured after the ceiling of the resort gymnasium, which was being used as an auditorium, caved in at 9:15 p.m. at the Mauna Ocean Resort in Gyeongju.
Heavy snow is thought to be the main cause behind the accident, but Koreans are pointing the finger at the university.
Some 1,000 students attended a freshman welcome event organized by the student council at the Busan University of Foreign Studies.
A father of a deceased student, only identified by his surname Kim, burst out crying and vented outrage about the late response of the university. “They say my daughter died. Why didn’t the university contact me?”
Kim heard about the accident while watching TV that night, but never thought that his beloved child would be one of the dead.
He thought his daughter was too “excited” to reply to his text message asking how she was doing. “I didn‘t even see my daughter’s face when I went work early that day,” he said in tears.
Another parent who lost her 18-year-old middle child cried out, “I received a call from the university at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, six hours after the accident.”
“I heard the news from a friend. What did the university do at the time?” she added.
She also posed a question over the responsibility and sense of safety of the university. The university reportedly did not even visit the site in advance despite the news reports of heavy snowfalls and sent only three staff to oversee more than 1,000 students.
However, the university is pinning blame on the students who “pushed for” the event that the university had banned.
An official at the university said, “The student council went ahead with the event by collecting fees from the students participating in the welcome party.”
“Without a big enough budget, it seems like the students looked for a cheap accommodation such as pre-engineered building, leading to the accident.”
Meanwhile, Chung Hae-lin, the president of the university, issued an apology on its website. “I express my condolences to the students who passed away in this catastrophe and wish for a rapid recovery for those injured.” The school made clear that it will assume all responsibilities for the affected students.
As of 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, the search ended and the injured had been transferred to hospitals in the nearby city of Ulsan, according to local police officials.
Amid growing speculation that the collapsed building was authorized despite its failure to meet safety standards, the government pledged to launch a fact-finding probe and to carry out a thorough safety check on all kinds of facilities to find out the exact cause for the collapse.
By Ock Hyun-ju, Intern reporter (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
Building collapse in Gyeongju sparks controversy over its cause
Public uproar is mounting over the university‘s alleged late response and irresponsibility after the unexpected building collapse that left 10 people dead and about 100 injured on Monday in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
Ten people were confirmed dead with 105 people injured after the ceiling of the resort gymnasium, which was being used as an auditorium, caved in at 9:15 p.m. at the Mauna Ocean Resort in Gyeongju.
Heavy snow is thought to be the main cause behind the accident, but Koreans are pointing the finger at the university.
Some 1,000 students attended a freshman welcome event organized by the student council at the Busan University of Foreign Studies.
A father of a deceased student, only identified by his surname Kim, burst out crying and vented outrage about the late response of the university. “They say my daughter died. Why didn’t the university contact me?”
Kim heard about the accident while watching TV that night, but never thought that his beloved child would be one of the dead.
He thought his daughter was too “excited” to reply to his text message asking how she was doing. “I didn‘t even see my daughter’s face when I went work early that day,” he said in tears.
Another parent who lost her 18-year-old middle child cried out, “I received a call from the university at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, six hours after the accident.”
“I heard the news from a friend. What did the university do at the time?” she added.
She also posed a question over the responsibility and sense of safety of the university. The university reportedly did not even visit the site in advance despite the news reports of heavy snowfalls and sent only three staff to oversee more than 1,000 students.
However, the university is pinning blame on the students who “pushed for” the event that the university had banned.
An official at the university said, “The student council went ahead with the event by collecting fees from the students participating in the welcome party.”
“Without a big enough budget, it seems like the students looked for a cheap accommodation such as pre-engineered building, leading to the accident.”
Meanwhile, Chung Hae-lin, the president of the university, issued an apology on its website. “I express my condolences to the students who passed away in this catastrophe and wish for a rapid recovery for those injured.” The school made clear that it will assume all responsibilities for the affected students.
As of 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, the search ended and the injured had been transferred to hospitals in the nearby city of Ulsan, according to local police officials.
Amid growing speculation that the collapsed building was authorized despite its failure to meet safety standards, the government pledged to launch a fact-finding probe and to carry out a thorough safety check on all kinds of facilities to find out the exact cause for the collapse.
By Ock Hyun-ju, Intern reporter (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
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